Character bearing element for key chains and like devices



p 1941- E. 5. MIX arm. 2,257,304

CHARACTER BEARING ELEIENT FOR KEY CHAINS AND LIKE DEVICES Filed Jan. 31, 1940 j. 9 6 6 HQS 6 H0324.

E Zhwoufoz Patented Sept. 30, 1 941 CHAINS AND Edwin 8. Mix and Harold O. Vaisey,

ELEMENT FOR KEY LIKE DEVICES Rochester,

N. Y., assignorsto Hickok Manufacturing Company, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 31, 1940, Serial No. 316,654

2 Claims. (Cl. 59-80) This invention relates to character bearing elements for key chains or like devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a character bearing element for key chains and other similar articles wherein the character hearing element forms a striking part of the general make-up of the article by virtue of its size and form, the same being of an extreme elongated, narrow, or attenuated type.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an ornamental chain device for personal wear, embodying among other characteristics, end or terminal members between which is arranged a flexible member having its ends connected to the end or terminal members, and one or more character bearing elements dis-- posed in the line of the flexible member.

It is still further designed to provide an effective and ornamental key chain or the like involving a relatively long, narrow, flat, stiii initial bearing element in which theinitial spreads substantially throughout the length and width of theelement and wherein the initial is cut into or otherwise formed in the element and confined within the area thereof and whichelement carries a loop at each end for the reception of connecting links to enable quick and ready assembling of the element in the chain line.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the connecting link for connecting the character bearing elements together and for connecting a character bearing element with the attaching device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the connecting link for coupling the lower end of 1 a lowermost character bearing element or the lower end of a single character bearing element, where only one is used, to the chain of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the acoompanying drawing, the reference character I 55 indicates a common form of attaching device having a loop 2 to secure the same to belt supporting loop or strap or other part of trousers (not shown), while the reference character 3 indicates a key holding device of any-suitable type to which a flexible chain 4 is secured in the eye 5 thereof by means of a split ring 6 or the like.

A series of relatively long or attenuated thin, flat, narrow, stifi metallic initial or other character bearing elements 1, 8 and 9 of substantially the same length and width and unusually elongated as regards initials or the likecarried inthe line of chain devices are interposed in slightly spaced end to end relation between the attaching member I and the inner end of the chain 4. Y

The character bearing elements are striking in appearance because of their great length, they being of a length greater than twice'the width of the same. r r

The initial or other character bearing elements, each carries end loops l0 and H. These end loops Ill and II are of a length greater than the width thereof and they are arranged with their lengths disposed transversely of the character bearing elements and they are of a length less than the width of the character bearing elements. By means of the upper loop H of the upper character bearing element 1 the latter is coupled swingingly to the loop 2 of the attaching device I by means of a relatively. short fiat connecting link A of any suitable character.

The connecting link A is but one form of connecting link usable for the present purposes. but it is an effective connecting link. This connecting link comprises a body portion having ends and separate yieldable portions opposite the body portion and spaced therefrom and one of the yieldable portions carries a seat yieldably between the yieldable portions and said body portion and the other yieldable portion has its free end formed for engagement with said seat to close the link. More specifically, the link A isnormally open and consists of a thin, narrow ribbon-like metal strip which is bent back upon itself at its ends, forming a relatively short body portion 12, ends l3 and Hi, and yieldable arms 15 and i6 arranged opposite the body portion I2 substantially in parallelism therewith and spaced therefrom.

The overlying portion l5 of the connecting link A is curved or directed downwardly andterinmates in a lip forming a narrow seat llspaced from the body portion l2. The extremity of the other arm I6 is directed downwardly, forminga member l8 adapted, upon inward pressure, to be seated firmly on said seat I! to close the normally open connecting link, the member l8 and the seat I! being normally slightly separated prior to application of the link.

Thus to swingingly or flexibly connect the upper character bearing element 1 to the loop 2 of the attaching member I, the said coupling or connecting link A in open condition is at one end looped through the loop 2 of the attaching device land at its opposite end looped through the upper loop H) of the character bearing element 1. By 7 7 tool, hand, or other pressure on the yieldable member 16 the part I8 of the yieldable member is is forced on or against said' seat ll of the other yieldable portion l so as to-thereby fasten the link A in operative position with said seat It spaced slightly from said body portion l2 and all accomplished in a manner to obviate any rough spots or protuberances on the link when closed and thereby provide for exterior smoothness and with the yieldable portions, save for the inwardly directed seat I! and member 18, lying substantially parallel with the body portion I2 of the relatively short link A. These short links arranged in the respective narrow end loops l0 and ll of the character bearing elements, because of the links being of a width substantially the length of the loops, limit sidewise movement of the character bearing elements in relation to one another in the use of the article, preventing entanglement of the character bearing elements incident to sidewise movement of said elements while the article is being worn by the user.

The narrow seat I! and the seated member 18 divides the connecting link, preventing loops of connected elements from passing beyond the samein the link and insuring loops of adjacent elements being maintained in the respective ends of the link.

A link B is designed to coact with the lower loop ll of the character bearing element 1 and with the upper loop ll! of the character bearing element 8 to couple these two elements together and they are coupled together swingingly just the same as is the element 1 coupled to the attaching device which by reason of the link B being of the same size andconstruction and operable as the link A.

As for the connecting link C, it, too, is the same in construction as the connecting links A and B and it operates through loops H and iii of the character bearing elements 8 and 9, respectively, to couple the latter flexibly together.

A coupling link D differs slightly from the connecting links A, B, and C but it is formed preferably oi the same material and of substantially the same length and width as the links A, B, and C. It consists of spaced yieldable portions 19 and 2|], forming a loop, which is looped through the lower end loop ll of the character bearing element 9. The spaced portion 20 is bent to form a seat 22 against which the inwardly turned and member 23 of the yieldable portion I9 is forced or pressed to close loop D against accidental detachment from the character bearing of the character bearing elements are substantially of the same width as the width of the connecting links A, B, C, and D.

We have thus described a key chain device to explain one embodiment of our invention and with the parts assembled in the use of a threeinitial or three-character-bearing elements device and it might be stated that to facilitate assembly of the device by a dealer desirous of meeting requirements of a purchaser for his particular initials that at the factory the connecting links are factory attached in open condition to the top of each character bearing element and to the top of the chain 4, thus facilitating assembly on the part of the dealer and assuring correct permanent assembly.

It will be understood that in the event of a two, instead of a three-initial or character bearing device, that the two initials or other characters may be assembled as in the three-initial or character bearing device and under the same method of assembly.

It is to be further understood that the types of attaching devices and key holders and chain may vary in design and that as a matter of fact we contemplate the use of these attenuated character bearing elements in many other lines of goods other than key chains. Also, let it be understood that the forms of connecting links may be varied as to size, proportions, and details within the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of the size or lengths of the character bearing elements.

Theparticular initial elements shown are for purposes of illustration only. The initials, of course, may vary and be other than those shown.

By means of a suitable instrument, the member N3 of the yieldable arm l6 may be removed from the seat ll of the yieldable arm l5 of the connecting link, if at any time it is desired to remove a portion of the chain for any reason.

7 What is claimed is:

1. An article of the character described including an inner and outer attaching member, a series of flat character bearing elements arranged in spaced end-to-end relation and each being of a length greater than twice its width and each of said elements at each end having a relatively short loop projecting therefrom with the openings in the loops being of greater length than width and having their lengths disposed transversely of said elements and being of a length less than the width of said character hearing elements, a flexible member swingingly connected to the outer loop of the outer character bearing element, a short ribbon-like link swingingly connecting the inner attaching member with the respective loop of the innermost character bearing element, and short links of ribbonlike material and of less width than the width of the character bearing elements and of a width substantially the same as the lengths 'of the openings in said loops and connecting the respective loops of the intermediate character bearing element with the loops of the outermost and innermost bearing elements, each of said links comprising a body portion, ends and separate yieldable arms located opposite the body portion and spaced therefrom and in substantial parallelism therewith, one of the arms being extended inwardly towards the body portion and provided with a longitudinally projecting lip spaced from the body portion and forming a seat, the other yieldable arm having its free end directed, inwardly into engagement with that portion of the first-named arm adjacent said seat with the extremity thereof engaging said seat to close the respective link, said inwardly directed portions of the links preventing contact of the loops of the intermediate character bearing element with the loops of the innermost and outermost character bearing members in the use of the article.

2. An article of the character described including an inner and outer attaching member, a series of fiat character bearing elements arranged in spaced end-to-end relation and each 10 being of a length greater than twice its width and each of said elements at each end having a relatively short loop projecting therefrom with the openings in the loops being of greater length than width and having their lengths disposed transversely of said elements and being of a length less than the Width of said character bearing elements, a flexible member swingingly connected to the outer loop of the outer character bearing element, a short ribbon-like link swingingly connecting the inner attaching memwidth of the character bearing elements and of a Width substantially the same as the lengths of t the openings in said loops and connecting the respective loops of the intermediate character bearing element with the loops of the outermost and innermost bearing elements, the length of the character bearing elements and the short loops and short links constructed and arranged as specified limiting relative sidewise movement of the character bearing elements in relation to one another in the use of the article.

EDWIN S. MIX. HAROLD C. VAISEY. 

